Like their sweeter hole-y brethren before them, bagels are having a moment. But while doughnuts could soon follow cupcakes off the trend cliff, artisan bagels are just getting started. As with Bagelsaurus in Cambridge (now its own shop) and Exodus Bagels in Jamaica Plain, Better Bagels began as a pop-up. “It officially started two years ago, when my good friend and business partner Sam Harden and I started working on our bagel recipe,’’ says co-owner James Grimes.

Harden has a culinary degree and cooked at the now-shuttered Clio; Grimes has street cred, as a second-generation bagel baker. “My family owns a bagel shop in New Jersey,’’ Grimes says.

The pair, who met working at Alibi Bar & Lounge, lamented the lack of high-quality bagels in Boston and decided to start tinkering with a method that employs long fermentation and hand-rolling — no shortcuts and no extruders. Grimes says the fermentation needs “at least 12 hours,’’ and the whole process takes about three days. “I don’t want to give away too much, but there are multiple steps that take time to really develop good flavor.’’ The New York-style bagels ($2 each, $11 for a half-dozen, $22 for a dozen) come in classic flavors such as everything, salt, sesame, and cinnamon raisin.

Better Bagels continues to plan pop-ups. In February it has a collaboration with Coppa in the South End, and another at Night Shift Brewing in Everett. “That is just us going there with a selection of our spreads and butters and we bring a ton of bagels and you get a bunch of awesome beers and some bagels and maybe play some games or watch a sporting event,’’ says Grimes.

Their latest endeavor is a daily wholesaling partnership with 7ate9 Bakery in Somerville, which opened in May of 2015 and is best known for its cheesecake. Grimes says, “We got in touch with the owner, Sarah Chester, and she thought it was a great idea.’’

You’ll also find the bagels weekends at the Tip Tap Room and weekdays at Quality Eats, the cafe at the Boston Police Headquarters. Grimes and Harden are currently shopping around for a brick-and-mortar location, but for now they are producing out of Stock Pot, a shared kitchen in Malden. Grimes knows that baking and building a business require commitment. “Unless you are patient and put in the time, you aren’t going to have a good-quality bagel.’’

For more information, go to www.better bagelsboston.com.

CATHERINE SMART

Catherine Smart can be reached at cathjsmart@gmail.com.